Prázdné ulity, zejména od velkých plžů, bývají osídleny různými bezobratlými, kterým slouží jako úkryt pro přezimování, místo ke kladení vajíček nebo pro kuklení. K hnízdění je využívají také některé samotářské čalounicovité včely (Megachilidae). V České republice tuto schopnost má pět druhů zednic rodu Osmia a jeden druh vlnařky rodu Rhodanthidium. Dále v ulitách můžeme nalézt řadu zajímavých blanokřídlých parazitů uvedených druhů, např. zlatěnky, chalcidky nebo tzv. kukaččí včely.

K dalšímu čtení v Živě

Prázdné ulity plžů a tajemství, která skrývají (2013, 1)

Citovaná a použitá literatura

BOGUSCH, Petr, et al. Nest structure, pollen utilization and parasites associated with two west-Mediterranean bees (Hymenoptera, Apiformes, Megachilidae) nesting in empty snail shells. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 2020, 76: 113-125. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.76.49579

BOGUSCH, Petr, et al. Near-natural habitats near almond orchards with presence of empty gastropod shells are important for solitary shell-nesting bees and wasps. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 2020, 299: 106949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2020.106949

BOGUSCH, Petr, et al. Long-term changes of steppe-associated wild bees differ between shell-nesting and ground-nesting species. Journal of insect conservation, 2020, 24: 513-523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-020-00232-4

BOGUSCH, Petr, et al. The presence of high numbers of empty shells in anthropogenic habitats is insufficient to attract shell adopters among the insects. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 2019, 12.3: 193-205. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12335

ERBAR, Claudia; LEINS, Peter. Sex and breeding behaviour of the Sicilian snail-shell bee (Rhodanthidium siculum Spinola, 1838; Apoidea–Megachilidae): preliminary results. Arthropod-Plant Interactions, 2017, 11: 317-328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-016-9489-x

GESS, S. K., et al. Patterns of usage of snail shells for nesting by wasps (Vespidae: Masarinae and Eumeninae) and bees (Megachilidae: Megachilinae) in Southern Africa. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 2008, 17.1: 86-109.

HENEBERG, Petr; BOGUSCH, Petr; HLAVÁČKOVÁ, Lucie. Experimental confirmation of empty snail shells as limiting resources for specialized bees and wasps. Ecological Engineering, 2020, 142: 105640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.105640

HOSTINSKÁ, Lucie, et al. Comparative biology of four Rhodanthidium species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) that nest in snail shells. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 2021, 85: 11-28. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.85.66544

MÜLLER, Andreas Dominik; PRAZ, Christophe; DORCHIN, Achik. Biology of Palaearctic Wainia bees of the subgenus Caposmia including a short review on snail shell nesting in osmiine bees (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 2018, 65: 61-89. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.65.27704

Empty shells, especially from large snails, are often inhabited by various invertebrates, serving as a wintering shelter, a place to lay eggs or for pupation. Some solitary carpet bees (Megachilidae) also use them for nesting. In the Czech Republic, five species of the genus Osmia and one species of the genus Rhodanthidium have this ability. Moreover, in the shells we can find a number of interesting hymenoptera parasites of the aforementioned species, e.g. cuckoo wasps, chalcids and what are known as cuckoo bees.